Iran Strikes Kuwait Power Plant as US and Tehran Exchange Attacks

Iran launched missile and drone attacks on US-allied Gulf states Kuwait and Bahrain on Sunday, causing a fire at a Kuwaiti power and water plant, while the two sides continued exchanging strikes amid heightened tensions following US attacks on Iran. [1] Kuwait and Bahrain reported multiple waves of Iranian strikes, with Kuwaiti authorities stating one attack started a fire at a power and water plant; both countries host US military installations. [1] Iran's army claimed one attack targeted a US ammunition depot at Camp al-Adiri and air defence radars at Ali Al Salem airbase in Kuwait. [1]

Iranian Strikes Hit Kuwait and Bahrain

Kuwait and Bahrain reported several rounds of Iranian missile and drone attacks on Sunday. [1] Kuwaiti authorities stated that one attack started a fire at a power and water plant. [1] Both countries host US military installations and have borne the brunt of attacks by Iran on its Gulf neighbours since hostilities resumed this month, all but shattering the US-Iran ceasefire. [1] Kuwait’s Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy condemned the “heinous Iranian aggression”. [1] Bahrain’s military said its air defences had also thwarted “treacherous” Iranian attacks. [1] Iran’s army said that one of its Sunday attacks on Kuwait targeted a US ammunition depot at Camp al-Adiri and air defence radars at Ali Al Salem airbase, which hosts US personnel. [1] In a statement on the IRIB broadcaster, Iran’s army said its soldiers would “remain firm and steadfast” in defending the Iranian people “against the enemies of Iran and humanity”. [1] The risk of a wider war in the Middle East is growing after authorities in Bahrain and Kuwait said they intercepted missiles and drones launched from Iran. [4] These developments follow Iran strikes that have drawn responses from multiple regional actors amid ongoing exchanges between the United States and Tehran. [5]

Missile Intercepted Near Jordan

Also on Sunday, Israel’s military said an Iranian missile was fired towards the Jordanian city of Aqaba, as sirens reportedly sounded in Jordan. [1] Israeli and Jordanian forces intercepted the Iranian missile, the Israeli military told AFP. [1] Air raid sirens also sounded in Jordan's capital, Amman, while Israel said it detected Iranian missiles targeting the coastal city of Aqaba. [4] The escalation comes after the US Embassy in Jordan urged American citizens, in a social media post, to avoid Aqaba's airport and seaport because of a specific and credible threat. [4] These events unfolded as part of the broader pattern of Iran strikes extending beyond the immediate Gulf targets. [5]

US Strikes on Iranian Targets

Iran’s latest attacks follow a series of overnight US strikes on Iran that Washington said aimed to “punish” Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces responsible for earlier attacks in Jordan that killed two US service members. [1] The US military said the strikes also sought to “degrade Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz”. [1] The US attacks struck areas in Iran’s Hormozgan and Khuzestan provinces, as well as Qeshm Island, according to Iranian media reports. [1] They were less intense than previous nights of US attacks, reported Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi from Tehran. [1] Later on Sunday, Iran’s nuclear energy agency said the US attacked an under-construction nuclear power plant in the country’s south-west, which it condemned as a breach of international law. [1] Iran says 50 killed, over 500 injured in US attacks since June 27. [2] An explosion was heard in Iran’s Abadan amid escalation with US, with state broadcaster reporting blast in major city without providing cause or casualty details. [3] Tensions rise between Washington and Tehran despite recent peace memorandum. [2]

Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz

There were signs on Sunday of further turmoil in the Strait of Hormuz, where the IRGC said it blocked two ships that tried to use an “unsafe route”. [1] It said both had been involved in an unspecified “accident”. [1] The status of Hormuz has proven to be a major point of contention following the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding signed last month, which extended the April ceasefire and agreed to the gradual reopening of the waterway. [1] Iranian officials said Tehran has the right to continue managing shipping through the strait. [1] The US says Iran does not control the waterway and reimposed its own blockade of Iranian ports. [1] These incidents occurred amid disputes over control of the waterway following a recent US-Iran memorandum. [1]

Context of the Escalation

Both countries, which host US military installations, have borne the brunt of attacks by Iran on its Gulf neighbours since hostilities resumed this month all but shattering the US-Iran ceasefire. [1] Paul Musgrave, professor of government at Georgetown University in Qatar, said Iran has the “upper hand” in terms of commitment to the war, which it sees as existential. [1] “Since February, the asymmetry on how interests have been conducted has been clear: the regime in Tehran is fighting an existential war. The United States and Israel are fighting a war over policy choices,” Musgrave told Al Jazeera. [1] The risk of a wider war in the Middle East is growing after authorities in Bahrain and Kuwait said they intercepted missiles and drones launched from Iran. [4]

What to watch next: Further exchanges between the United States and Iran, potential additional incidents in the Strait of Hormuz, and any responses to the reported attacks on the under-construction nuclear power plant.